FBI Director in China for Talks on Cooperation

Robert Mueller, director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, was scheduled to arrive in China Monday for talks with China's law enforcement officials, the US embassy said.

Mueller will "discuss cooperation between the FBI and the Ministry of Public Security and the function of the FBI overseas programme," the embassy said in a short statement.

No details were provided about the agenda of his talks, but the FBI has traditionally cooperated with China in fighting international crime, including fraud, smuggling, drug trafficking and anti-terrorism.

In July last year, Mueller expressed concern over Chinese espionage operations in the United States.

"China is stealing our secrets in an effort to leap ahead in terms of its military technology but also the economic capability of China," Mueller told a congressional hearing then. "I can say that it is a substantial concern."

The FBI set up a branch office in Beijing in 2002 that is run out of the US embassy, US officials said.

Robert Mueller, director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, was scheduled to arrive in China Monday for talks with China's law enforcement officials, the US embassy said.Mueller will "discuss cooperation between the FBI and the Ministry of Public Security and the...